Window shade fixture



April 24, 1951 s. M. AYOUB WINDOW SHADE' FIXTURE Filed Oct. 15 1947 I INVENTOR. .SOLOMO/VM AYOUB A TX 'l aten tecl Apr. 24, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,550,214 WINDOW SHADE FIXTURE Solomon M. Ayoub, Ansonia, Conn. Application October 15, 1947, Serial No. 779,988

- This invention relates to window shade fixtures, and more particularly to a shade-supporting fixture adapted to have clamping engagement upon a window casing.

One object of this invention is to provide a weight of the shades and curtains will cause the clamping elements to' engage the window casing more firmly.

A further object is to provide a deviceof the above nature which will be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install and manipulate, compact, ornamental in appearance, and very efficient and durable in use.

.With these and other objects in view, there have been illustrated on the accompanying drawing two forms in which the invention may conveniently be embodied in practice.

- In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation in, perspective of the improved window shade fixture applied to a window casing.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the left hand end of the same, partly in section.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the right hand end of the same.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a modification of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter C indicates the upper portion of a rectangular window casing having a right hand trihedral clamping jaw III and a left hand trihedral clamping jaw II in engagement with its upper corners.

The trihedral jaws I0, II comprise, respectively, top walls I2, I3, and end walls I4, I5, which are ,adapted to engage theouter edges of the casing C, and in front walls I6, I! which: are adapted to engage the face of said casing CI.

The jaws III, II. are provided respectively with bracket arms I 8, I9 extending forwardly from the inner edges of the front walls I6, II at right angles thereto.

The bracket arms I8, I9 are provided with cir-' cular apertures 20, 2I spaced outwardly a short 3 Claims. Cl. 248-262) distance from the front walls I6, II, in order to receive a tension means 22 whereby the trihedral clamping jaws I I] and II may be drawn toward each other for clamping the casing C. The tension means 22 includes a left hand rod section 23 having an end head 24 seated on the outer face of the bracket arm I9, and an end head 25 pivotally retained in one end of a turnbuckle 26.

The tension means22 further includes a right hand rod section 2'! having a threaded end 28 engaged in the turnbuckle 2B and an opposite threaded end 29 which passes through the aperture 20 of the right hand bracket arm I8 and is secured by a nut 30.

In order to support the usual window shade roller 33, the respective bracket arms I8, I9 are provided with a circular bearing aperture 3| and a slot 32 located outwardly of the tension means 22.

The front walls I6 and I! of the trihedral jaws II] and I I have portions struck outwardly therefrom to form central lugs 34, 35, which will be useful for supporting a curtain rod to overlie the window shade roller 33 at substantially the same level. The top walls I2, I3 and the end walls I4, I5 of the jaws I0, II have portions struck inwardly to form spurs 36 upon the inside surfaces of said jaws II], II. Thus, the spurs 36 will engage the edge surfaces of the casing C and prevent the jaws I0 and II from slipping therefrom.

Operation The improved window shade fixture may be manufactured and sold in various sizes. However, the extent of the threaded portion 28 of the rod section 21 will enable a fixture of a given size to fit any window casing within a certain range of sizes. The threaded rod portion 29 offers a further means of adjustment. Inuse, the clamping jaws III and I I will be placed upon the upper outer corners of the window casing C and the turnbuckle 26 rotated in order to place the jaws under tension.

The end walls I4, I5 will thereby be drawn into tight clamping engagement with the outer edge surfaces of the. casing C-the spurs 36 there- -on entering into said casing to prevent slipping of the fixture. I

In the process of installing the fixture, the spurs. 36 and the top walls I2, I3 will normally engage the top edge surface of the casin C sufficiently to prevent sliding of the top Walls I2,

7 I 3 upon the casing. However, if .an especially firm engagement is desired, the jaws I0, I I may be Modified form In the modified form shown in Fig. 4, provision is made of a pair of trihedral clamping jaws having substantially the same structure and function as the jaws H], H in the first form of the invention. The right-hand jaw of the modified form is indicated at 31. the jaw 31 is provided with an elongated slot 38 which is adapted to secure a T-head 39 formed on the end of a flat strip 40 of a modified tension means.

A flat strip 4| is provided which has identical s cur m nt t a imilar jaw at t e, t e sid of the casing. The strips 40, 4| are connected by means of an intermediate strip 42 which is provided with a reduced hook end 43 adapted to engage selectively in one of a longitudinal series of apertures 44 in the flat strip 4|. The strips 40 and G2 normally overlap in their installed position, and are provided with end eyes 45, Q6, respectively, connected by a toggle arm 61 having angular end portions 48, 49 received in the eyes s5, 46,

The end portion 48 is continued in a plane parallel to the toggle arm 4], in the form of an angular locking rod 50 having an upturned end adapted to. be. engaged behind the fiat strip 40. The end portion 49, of the toggle arm 41 has, a hooked continuation 52 over which the locking rod 50 is adapted to be engaged in order to retain the toggle arm 41 in a locked, position.

Operation of modifiedf rm The modified form will be installed in a manner similar to the first form of the invention, with the exception of the tension means, In this form the T-head 39 will be entered through the elongated slot 38, and then, rotated 90, degrees in order to prevent its withdrawal, The jaws 3 having first been applied to the corners of the window casing, the hooked end; 43 of the connecting strip 42 will then be entered through the appropriate aperture 44 and the toggle arm 41 swung to its locked position, in which the strips 49 and 42 overlap, as shown in Fig. 4.,

The upturned end 5| of the locking rod 56 will then be snapped behind the stripflll and the locking rod 56 engaged in the hook 52, whereby the toggle willbe firmly secured.

One advantage of the instant invention is that the shape of the trihedral jaws H1 and II furnishes a means whereby a fixture may be quickly and accurately located upon the casing, thus advoiding the necessity for measuring or otherwise carefully determining the points at which the fixture should be applied.

Another advantage is that the device is of simple construction, and includes a minimum of projecting parts. will not be mutilated or marred in any way, and if it is desired at any time to remove thefixture, the face of the casing will bear no evidence of the. installation.

In this form, however,

The face of the window casing Another advantage is that the spurs 36 will effectively resist displacement of the clamping jaws from the window casing. Excessive tension, a might be caused by tightening the turnbuckle 26 more than necessary, will not cause the clamping jaws to slip from the casing.

Further, the spurs 36 in the top walls |2, |3 will retain the jaws upon the casing even though excessive weight is applied to the bracket arms l8, H], or to the lugs 34, 35. In fact, an increase in the load upon the fixture will only result in a firmer engagement of the spurs with the edge surfaces of the window casing.

No noticeable marks will be left by the spurs 36 inasmuch as they are of thin construction and disposed to lie with the grain of the wood. However, the spurs in the end walls l4, I5 may be omitted, if desired, in which case, the only marks left upon the casing will be on its upper edge and inconspicuous.

While there have been disclosed in this specification two forms in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that these forms are shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not to be limited to the specificv disclosures, but may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit. In short, the 'invention includes all the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new, and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is;

1. In a window shade fixture, a pair of brackets each comprising a trihedral clamping jaw including a front wall and a bracket arm extending outwardly from said front wall, tension means connecting said brackets, said tension means comprising a pair' of sections each. connected to one of said brackets, and: a toggle device for drawing the sections ofsaid tension means toward each other for clamping said brackets in engagement with a. window casing.

' '2. The invention as defined in claim 1, in which said tension means is provided with a T- shaped end detachably engaged in an elongated slot in one of said bracket arms, whereby said bracket may be quickly attached to andd'etached' from said tension means.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1, in which one of said pair of sections comprises a strip having a longitudinal series ofapertures therein, and a hooked strip adapted to engage selectively in any one of said apertures, whereby the length of said tension means may be adjusted topermit operation of the toggle means when the fixture i applied to window casings ofdifierent widths.

SOLOMON AYOUB.

REFERENCES CITED- The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 507,266 Fraley Oct. 24, 1893 1,053,796 Peterson Feb. 18, 1913 1,140,940 Bales May 25, 1915 1,326,424 Schaumloeifel Dec, '30, 1919 1,495,642 Pinney -1 May 27, 1924 

